July 4 festivities include fireworks, .38 Special concert

PEORIA — For the third straight year, the UnityPoint Health-Methodist Red White and Boom will feature a pyrotechnics show with a six-figure cost for fireworks.

By Jesse O’BrienGateHouse Media Illinois

PEORIA — For the third straight year, the UnityPoint Health-Methodist Red White and Boom will feature a pyrotechnics show with a six-figure cost for fireworks.
Event organizers announced that the festival planned for July 3-6 would include a performance from classic rock band .38 Special on July 5 at the stage in Festival Park in addition to the $100,000 fireworks show on July 4.
The fireworks are launched from barges in the Illinois River and are visible in both Peoria and East Peoria.
“I think it’s really appropriate that we’re using our natural greatest resource, the Illinois River — which oftentimes people use to divide us — to show that we’re united (in) East Peoria and Peoria,” 3rd District Peoria Councilman Tim Riggenbach said on behalf of Mayor Jim Ardis.
Mike Wild, senior vice president of JMP Integrated Media, said the show will be the biggest in Illinois. JMP operations manager Randy Rundle said the show would last about 27 minutes and that 30 percent of the fireworks on display were new to the show.
“We’ve been able to further enhance the show each year, and we’ll have more new fireworks effects this year,” Wild said.
Local band South Side Cindy & the Slip-Tones will open for .38 Special, and country singers Clayton Anderson and Bella Cain will bookend the four-day celebration, performing on July 3 and July 6, respectively.
Tickets for the concerts are on sale at www.redwhiteandboom.us. The cost is $20 in advance, $25 at the gate to see .38 Special and South Side Cindy & the Slip-Tones on July 5; $7 at the gate to see Clayton Anderson on July 3; and $7 to see Bella Cain on July 6.